


Mended

by st_mick



Series: Niffler [14]
Category: Doctor Who (2005), Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Torchwood
Genre: Anchoring Ianto's magic, Dont' judge, Fixing Jack's fixedness, How many times can Toshiko say wampus cat?, Lots of fix-its, Luna is awesome, M/M, Two animagi? That's a bit excessive..., You really think I'd kill him for good?, couldn't be helped
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-11
Updated: 2019-03-11
Packaged: 2019-11-15 08:29:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,282
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18070016
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/st_mick/pseuds/st_mick
Summary: Thirteen witches and wizards watch as Jack tries to save Ianto.  Ianto's magic is released, but rather than moving on, it seems to attack Jack, instead.  The TARDIS is attracted to all of that lovely free-floating vortex energy, and the Doctor quickly realizes what has happened...





	Mended

“Ianto!” Jack said, every part of his being rebelling, denying what had just happened.  “Ianto, no!  Stay with me!” 

He drew in a great breath and leaned down, sealing his mouth over Ianto’s.

Luna looked around at the dozen witches and wizards who were surrounding Ianto, gathered around the railings above the med bay, as well as down in the area, below.  They all looked solemn.  Half of them were crying.  In this moment, she had no tears.  “This is how it begins.  We will have to try to contain it, as best we can.  But first, Draco, please release your charm.”

Draco nodded, his face a mask attempting to hide his pain and grief.  He waved his wand, and the cloud shimmered.

“It’s so beautiful,” Hermione whispered through her tears, awed.

Luna waved her wand and the cloud was now free.  Much to everyone’s surprise, it did not dissipate, but remained where it was. 

“What is that?” Neville asked, pointing at the small golden glimmer within the cloud.

“That’s a small bit of the vortex,” Professor McGonagall answered.

Jack took a breath and tried again, breathing his life force into Ianto, though he did not feel the certainty that always told him whether to try this, or not.  Usually he just knew when it would work.  If he didn’t, it wouldn’t.  But he was damned if he wasn’t going to try.  He forced more energy out of his body, to the point that he was beginning to feel dizzy.  Ianto’s body briefly shimmered with the golden glow of energy. 

But it quickly dissipated.

Suddenly, the golden spark shot out from the middle of the cloud of magic and slammed into Jack, throwing him against the table.  As he tried to straighten, the cloud descended, and for a moment no one could see Jack as he was enveloped by Ianto’s magic.  It began swirling around him, looking like a violet and indigo tornado.

No, a violet and indigo and _golden_ tornado.  The magic was somehow spinning the vortex out of Jack, funneling it up and away from his body.

“It’s too dangerous!  We have to contain it!” Luna exclaimed, and as one, the witches and wizards began performing incantations to capture the vortex energy that was being pulled from Jack.

Jack began screaming as he had when facing Abaddon.  Toshiko buried her face in Owen’s shoulder, crying.

“What’s going on?” Gwen demanded over the comms.

“Not now, Gwen,” Owen answered weakly.  He had no idea that he could have answered her, anyway.  Why would Ianto’s magic attempt to harm Jack?  Never mind the fact that Ianto was _dead_.  He could not process that, just yet.  Not while some part of him was still here, clearly interfering with Jack, somehow.

He counted thirteen witches and wizards.  And they were all completely focused on the spells they were casting.  There was a lot of power in the hub, at the moment.  He could feel it crackling against his skin.  And the golden energy kept pouring out of Jack.  It took almost ten minutes before it finally stopped. 

Jack sagged to the ground, unmistakably dead. 

The entire hub was filled with the golden energy of the vortex, now.  Owen idly thought that this must be what eternity looked and felt like.  The only pockets of clear space were around the people who were gathered.  In the end, it seemed that the witches and wizards could only put boundaries around the people in the hub, and around the hub itself.  The vortex had crammed itself into every nook and cranny of the remaining available space.

Owen and John moved carefully down into the med bay.  Luna expanded the table, and the two men lay Jack’s body next to Ianto’s.  The cloud of magic and vortex hovered above the bodies.  As they ascended back into the hub, a strange wheezing, grinding noise could be heard.  Tosh returned to Owen’s side, weeping.  He wondered if the night could get any worse.  The Doctor’s arrival seldom heralded good news.

“No way!” John exclaimed.  He’d heard the stories, of course.

An exceptionally skinny man in a striped suit bounded out of the police box and looked around, his eyes wide.  “Well, that explains the urgency of this little detour,” he muttered.  Then he spotted a familiar face.  “Minerva McGonagall!  Nice to see you!”

“And you, Doctor, but can you help us contain this?  We cannot hold it, much longer.”

“Of course,” he replied.  “Donna, please come out of the TARDIS.”

Once his companion was out, looking around the hub in wonder, the Doctor said, “If you can funnel a bit of it this way, she’ll grab onto it and pull it in.”

They did as he asked, and soon the excess vortex energy had been drawn into the TARDIS.  Her doors shut as she pulled the energy back into her recesses and allowed it to settle.  Everyone sighed in relief at having such an incredible amount of power safely contained.

“What’s happening, here?” the Doctor looked around.  He spotted the lettering above the sofa.  “This is Torchwood!”  He frowned and continued to look around.  “But where’s Jack?”

Owen was still holding Toshiko, the events of the last day hitting them both, hard.  Neither seemed equal to the task of providing an answer.  John strode forward.  “Jack’s batshit crazy brother attacked Eye… I mean Ianto, with this,” he held out the gun.

The Doctor’s eyes narrowed as he looked at the weapon with disdain.  “That’s a Salem 2000,” he said, pulling his sonic screwdriver out of his pocket.  Whatever setting he was using, it melted every piece of circuitry and petrified every mechanism.  The gun crumbled in John’s hands.  “Heinous device,” he shivered.  “Ianto.  I know that name.  Why do I know that name?”

“Ianto Jones is the one Jack came back for,” Luna answered.  “He could have traveled with you, but you called him wrong and he wanted to come home to Ianto.  To make a home with Ianto,” she added quietly.  She was still hopeful something might work out, since Ianto’s magic still had not dissipated.  But at the moment, her best friend and his lover were both dead.  And because Jack’s body had apparently been emptied of the vortex energy, he was not going to revive, this time.

The Doctor looked at the young woman, clearly taken aback that she knew he had called Jack wrong.  “That still doesn’t tell me where Jack is.”

Luna held out a hand, gesturing to the med bay.  As he approached, he saw the cloud and stopped.  “His magic… it _stayed_ after it was separated from him?”

“We contained it when it was torn from him, but freed it when he died,” she answered.

It was then that the Doctor saw the two bodies lying on the table.  “I’m so sorry,” he muttered.  “But what happened to Jack?”

“He tried to revive Ianto.  When we freed the magic, instead of dispersing, it surrounded Jack and began funneling the vortex energy away from him.  I believe it pulled all of it from him.”

The Doctor tentatively reached out and touched Jack’s hand.  It was cold and still, but it did not hurt.  “He’s no longer a fixed point,” he whispered.  Then his heart fell.  That most likely meant that this was Jack’s final death.  He felt sadness and regret wash over him, and for a moment, he was too moved to speak.  Gathering himself, he looked up at the cloud of magic and…  “That’s strange,” he said.

“What is?”

“Not all of the vortex energy returned to the TARDIS,” he replied.  “In fact, that is rather a lot,” he pointed to the cloud.  “It’s an incredible amount of magic, as well.  Are you sure it’s just one person’s?”

“Positive.”

“Oh, now that _is_ interesting,” he said, pulling out his anaglyph glasses.

“You know, you really are quite strange,” Luna stated matter-of-factly, though her voice was not unkind.  It was more an observation, like, ‘Your hair is brown’. 

Several of the dozen witches and wizards hid chuckles behind coughs.

The Doctor looked at Luna and grinned maniacally.  “What is your name?”

“Luna Lovegood.”

“Well, Luna.  I’m the Doctor.  Now.  Look at that cloud, and tell me what you see.”

Luna looked at the cloud, then cocked her head to the side and narrowed her eyes.  “I see Ianto’s magic, beautiful and mysterious.  And I see Jack’s vortex, wild and timeless.”

“Good.”  He took off the glasses and put them on her.  “And now?”

Luna’s jaw dropped.  “It’s… the two are… in exactly equal parts,” she said.

“What does that mean?” Professor McGonagall asked, approaching the two.

Luna handed her the glasses.

“It means that for each measure of Ianto’s magic, there is an equal measure of Jack’s vortex,” Luna answered. 

The Doctor nodded as Professor McGonagall looked at the cloud.  “I…  It looks exactly as though they’re dancing,” she said, handing the glasses back to the Doctor.

The Doctor grinned.  “They are.  This is the joy of the formless expression of two wild and beautiful forces of nature.  And to some extent, the consciousness of the men they empower.  And I rather imagine they are waiting for the air to settle, a bit.  That excess vortex energy was highly charged. Not to mention the sheer volume of it.”  He waved the sonic.  “Should be fairly soon,” he said.  “Tell me more about Jack’s brother.”

Owen, Tosh and Luna shared the telling of the story.  John looked suitably contrite for his role, though considering the size of the explosive device strapped to his arm, they couldn’t really hold too much of a grudge.

“So you and Jones found and portkeyed thirteen bombs – fourteen, if you count Hart’s – into the sun?”  The Doctor looked suitably impressed.  “And apparated Miss Sato to…” he looked more closely at Tosh.  “Wait, do I know you?” he asked,

“Space pig,” she shrugged.

“I _knew_ you weren’t a doctor!” he crowed.

“I was covering for one, who had a hangover that morning,” she said, giving Owen a fondly annoyed look.  He just grinned and shrugged.

“And you kept the power station from going into meltdown?” the Doctor got back on track.

“We did,” Tosh smiled at Luna, sharing the glory.

“Brilliant!” he exclaimed.

Just then, the cloud began separating.  The Doctor put his anaglyph glasses back on and watched as what he approximated to be about seven percent of the magic/vortex cloud break away from the rest.  It then separated into two clouds – magic and vortex.  The small cloud of vortex energy settled into Ianto’s body, taking root in his sacrum.  Likewise, the equal portion of the magic cloud settled into Jack’s body.

What was left of the larger cloud then slowly separated.  The two forces still seemed to be dancing as they swirled and flowed around one another and slowly formed two distinct clouds.  Once separate, the magic re-entered Ianto’s body, settling back into each cell.  A delicate network was established, linking the magic in each cell, looking very much like a very fine net.  The vortex at the root of his body now firmly anchored the entire structure.  Likewise, the vortex re-entered Jack’s body, establishing a similar structure that was anchored by the magic now located at the root of his body.

“Amazing,” the Doctor breathed as they all watched.  Then he frowned.  “But that means…” he waved his sonic screwdriver at both men, but made a frustrated noise because they were both still very much dead.

“What does _what_ mean, Doctor?” Professor McGonagall was standing by the body of one of her favorite students, and she was not sure she could afford the hope that was rising in her chest, at the sight of the magic returning to his body.

Not that she had favorites.  But if she did allow herself such an indulgence…

“Too soon to say,” the Doctor hedged.

“It’s the prophecy, innit?” Neville sniffed.  His eyes were dry but swollen and red rimmed, as though they insisted on showing his grief for his friend.  When the others stared, he looked around.  “When Nif was at Hogwarts last month, Hagrid heard Firenze sort of give a prophecy.  Something about the stars, and that Nif’s magic would be anchored, soon.  By time.”

Professor McGonagall nodded.  “I spoke with Firenze.  Hagrid had the gist of it.  An unconventional anchoring, he called it.”  She looked at the Doctor, who looked confused.  “Firenze is one of the centaurs in the Forbidden Forest,” she explained.

“Ah.  You talk about prophecies, I get skeptical.  But centaurs…” he canted his head as though conceding a point.

He looked at Jack and Ianto, again.  “They should be coming around, soon,” he murmured, waving his sonic screwdriver over them, again.  He looked up and smiled around the room.  “In the meantime, how about introductions?”

He bounded up the steps, leaving Luna and the professor with Ianto and Jack and drawing the others into the hub.  “Kingsley Shacklebolt,” he grinned.  “You haven’t met me yet, but it’s good to see you again!  I’m the Doctor.”

“Time travel,” Owen rolled his eyes, and Toshiko giggled.

Kingsley took the liberty of introducing everyone.  “These are Torchwood operatives Toshiko Sato and Doctor Owen Harper.”

“Space pig,” the Doctor grinned at Toshiko, who could not resist the infectious humor of the man and grinned back.  Like everyone else, she was in shock.  She was exhausted from the day’s events, and she hoped beyond all reason that the return of the energy clouds to Jack’s and Ianto’s bodies meant it was possible that they might revive.

Kingsley went on to introduce Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, Ginny Weasley, and Molly Weasley.

“Lot of ginger Weasleys in attendance,” the Doctor grinned as he nodded at each. 

“Well, Harry’s married to my Ginny, and Hermione is married to my Ron.  We were all sitting down to a family supper when Hermione was called away.  She came back and said that our Nif needed help, so I came along with the kids while Arthur went to check in at the Ministry.”  She spoke with a self-deprecating, motherly tone, but the Doctor sensed a good deal of power from her.

“You already met Luna.  This is her fiancé, Rolf Scamander.”

“Scamander?  I know _that_ name,” the Doctor grinned, and Rolf smiled.  His unassuming grandfather had got around more than just about anyone else he’d ever known.

“You know Minerva.  Poppy Pomfrey also works at Hogwarts, as does Neville Longbottom.  That leaves Draco Malfoy and Prunella Metcalf, from St. Mungo’s.”

“Pleased to meet you all,” the Doctor said.  He noticed that Donna was sitting on the sofa next to the man who had shown him the witch-killing weapon.  They seemed to be getting along quite well.  “And you are?” he interrupted them.

“Captain John Hart,” the man stood up as he introduced himself. 

The Doctor could practically smell the vortex rolling off of him.  “You’re a Time Agent,” he said, his voice low and unimpressed.  Not quite disdainful, but it was a close thing.

“Was.”

“Give it here,” the Doctor held out his hand.

“What?”

“The vortex manipulator.  I don’t let Jack use his, and I trust _him_.”

“They sent mine into the center of the sun, didn’t they?”

“Yes, but I rather imagine you were quite helpful in confiscating Gray’s,” the Doctor looked at him steadily.  “I will take you to any time zone you wish, but you’re not keeping it.”

John looked like he was inclined to fight the Doctor for it, but he saw a subtle shift in the room and decided it wasn’t worth it to go up against seven witches, six wizards, a Time Lord, and two Torchwood operatives who’d had more than enough of his shit, by now.  He sighed and handed over Gray’s vortex manipulator.

Owen, Draco and Healer Metcalf headed back down to the med bay.  The Doctor followed.  About a quarter hour later, Jack revived.  But it was not the normal, painful gasp that accompanied his being hauled back into life.  It was a slow, deep inhalation that seemed like he was gently settling back into his body.  It appeared as though he had revived into a peaceful sleep.

A few moments later, his eyes fluttered open.  “Ianto,” he murmured, clutching Luna’s hand.  Then he caught sight of her.  “Luna.”  His eyes closed and fresh tears fell as he remembered.  Ianto had died.  And then his magic had… he frowned, trying to remember.  “What happened?” he asked.

He could tell he was in the med bay.  They must have expanded the bed, because he somehow sensed he was lying next to Ianto, though he didn’t have the heart to look over at his dead lover, at the moment.  Luna was standing by the table and had his left hand in hers as she ran her other hand through his hair.  The action was superficially soothing, though nothing could comfort him. 

“We tried to release Ianto’s magic, after,” she trailed off, her large eyes wide and pained.  “But it came to you, surrounded you and siphoned the vortex energy from you.”

As Luna spoke, Jack remembered.  The warmth and comfort of the magic.  It was like being embraced by Ianto’s very essence – which, he supposed, was exactly what had happened.  And the question – had he really meant it, about not wanting his immortality?  It had been easy enough to answer – he had never wanted it. 

And then indescribable pain…

And then joy.  And a connection more intimate than anything he’d ever known.  And… dancing. 

And a promise. 

Jack tried to remember the promise, but he was too muddled.  He looked at Luna as she finished speaking about clouds and anchors and magic and the vortex.  “Is he awake yet?” he asked.

She shook her head.  “Not yet.”

Jack frowned.  Her nose was bleeding again.  “You all right?” he asked, reaching into his pocket and handing her a handkerchief.  “What did you see?”

“Everything will feel very unfamiliar, to him.  He will panic, and you have to let him settle, on his own.  I know it goes against your instincts, but it will be more difficult, if you try to intervene.  It will make him feel overwhelmed and trapped and make the terror worse.”

Jack nodded.  “I understand.”  He let go of her hand and turned towards Ianto, taking the younger man’s hand in his.  “Come back to me, Gorgeous.  It’s time for us to have a talk.”

It was five minutes later that Ianto’s heart began beating again.  Owen caught it with the stethoscope he’d been holding to Ianto’s wrist.  He drew in a slow, deep breath and exhaled deeply.  Everyone in the hub heaved a collective sigh of relief.  

Ianto shifted, then frowned.  In the next instant, his eyes flew open and he all but fell off of the table as he realized his spirit, his soul, his _magic_ was sitting in his body differently.  It was literally incomprehensible, in that moment.  He simply could not process the fact that everything felt so dramatically different.  Even if he would later recognize that it felt so much more stable and steady and settled and safe.  It no longer felt as though he were running with scissors – if those scissors were actually bolts of lightning that he had a tenuous hold on, at best.

No, in this moment he could not grasp any detail other than _different_.  Because different was uncomfortable.  Different was frightening.  Different was dangerous.  Particularly since he distinctly and painfully remembered his magic being violently wrenched from his body.

Someone failed to heed a warning and tried to take hold of his arm, and he lashed out, sending them flying backwards, and that was horrifying!  Since when could he do that?  What had he done?  Did he strike them, or use magic?  But he didn’t have his wand.  His hands were empty.  And yet he didn’t think he had hit them.  But they had flown through the air as though hit by a repelling jinx.

What was happening to him?  He felt the panic rise and he couldn’t catch his breath.  He tried to reach inside, to that place that always calmed him, but instead he triggered something else, altogether.  His body shifted and he felt the change come over him, and he snarled at any who tried to come near.  He let out a piercing shriek as the fear overtook him, but then something about this form helped him center himself.  There were fewer thoughts rushing rampant through his head.  Just safety.  He found a defensible position and made himself as menacing as possible and all thoughts vacated as his mind finally began to calm.

***

From almost the moment Ianto awakened, it was clear that he was disorientated and having difficulty processing whatever had changed, within.  He jerked and flailed off of the bed, crashing to the floor and gasping for air.  As Luna had predicted, he panicked.  Owen reached down to help him up, though Luna shouted for him to stay away.  Suddenly the medico was launched backwards, hurtling through the air. 

Luna shouted, “ _Levicorpus_ ,” and his body arced up rather than slamming into the wall.  He was grateful, really, but that didn’t stop him from screaming like a little girl until he was back on solid ground, no worse for wear, unless you counted his bloody nerves being shattered, after this bitch of a day.

Whatever it was that he’d done to Owen only served to feed Ianto’s panic.  Jack was standing by Luna with her hand clutched around his forearm, seeming to hold him up or back, he wasn’t sure which, but he was damned glad of her support.  Ianto was beginning to hyperventilate, but it was clear he wasn’t going to let anyone near him, anytime soon.  What was notable was the air around him wasn’t crackling with uncontrolled magic.

Ianto closed his eyes and seemed to be attempting to center himself.  But apparently even his center was in a different place, now.  It was clear he had reached something other than what he was grasping for when his body began to change.  He shifted into his animagus form with a growl, but the form was different, somehow.  This was not the cougar that Jack had seen, before. 

This was stronger, wilder, more powerful.  The shape was still roughly that of a cougar, though the size was a bit larger.  Though his eyes were as blue as Ianto’s, his fur was longer and a bit darker than his cougar form.  For a moment it seemed there was a real danger of attack as he backed himself into as much of a corner as could be found in the round room and shrieked and hissed.  But then he seemed to settle, and as he calmed, he slowly sat, still watching them warily but without seeming to threaten attack at any moment.

“What the actual fuck is that?” Owen asked.

“That,” Tosh pointed, sputtering, a bit.  “That’s a wampus cat!  It's a wampus cat!  Ianto is a wampus cat!”  She was flushed with excitement, but then she frowned, confused.  “Wait.  Why is Ianto a wampus cat?”

“You can stop saying ‘wampus cat’, now,” Owen snarked, but a small smile was playing at his lips.

What followed next was an explanation of animagi, including a demonstration from Professor McGonagall, and the story of Ianto’s previous failed attempts at controlling his animagus.  As they watched, Ianto’s eyes glowed gold as he looked around the hub.  As they shifted back to blue, his body relaxed.

“What was that?” Harry asked, rubbing his temple.  “It felt like legilimency.”

“Well, the wampus cat is a natural Legilimens,” Rolf said, crouching to get a better look.  “They are exceptionally rare, and very few have seen them.”

“Are they meant to have so many legs?” Owen asked.  Six legs – that was just _weird_.  He caught himself, realizing how ridiculous it was that _that_ was his limit for the strangeness he had encountered at Torchwood.  Ianto being a giant cat?  Sure.  Six legs?  Fuck off.

“Yes, that is the physiology,” Rolf answered patiently.  He smiled at the cat, knowing it had just read them and now knew no one meant him harm.  He was concerned that in his panic, Ianto might become trapped in the form, but he was visibly calming himself, so Rolf was hopeful that wouldn’t be the case.

Jack was on his knees a few feet from Ianto. 

“Careful, Jack,” Rolf warned.  “They’re natural hypnotists, as well.”

“No one can be hypnotized against their will,” Jack responded.  He smiled.  “And I trust him.  Read me, Ianto,” he demanded quietly.

The cat blinked, then cocked its head to the side.  When Jack smiled, Ianto’s eyes shifted to gold, again.  It sensed love and affection and relief and… lust?  The eyes shifted back to blue and the cat unmistakably cocked an eyebrow.

It was so Ianto that everyone who caught the expression chuckled.

The cat allowed Jack to inch closer, and then Ianto stepped forward, rubbing his muzzle against Jack’s cheek.  He ducked his head and nuzzled under Jack’s chin, breathing in the familiar pheromones and allowing them to calm him further.  As he backed away and sat back on his haunches, he took a deep breath and shifted to the form of a cougar, letting out an almost friendly squeak that sounded suspiciously like a sheep’s ‘baa’.

Professor McGonagall looked from Kingsley to Hermione to Healer Metcalf.  “Have either of you ever heard of this?”

“Two animagus forms?” Healer Metcalf said, her eyes wide.  She shook her head.  She waved her wand and said an incantation that gave her more information.  “Both forms are stable,” she said, confirming McGonagall’s sense of it.  “And I don’t think he’s trapped.  I think he’s acclimating to the new structure of his magic, and that’s doubtless easier, in animal form.”

“I’ve never heard of any witch or wizard having two distinct animagus forms,” Kingsley slowly stated.

“I’ve not come across it in any of my reading, either,” Hermione said.

“Oh, come now.  It makes perfect sense,” Rolf said, and for a moment, Professor McGonagall saw his grandfather crouched there.  “I think we can all acknowledge that for whatever reason, Ianto has far more magic than an average wizard.  But it’s almost too much, right?  No one wants or needs that much power, day-to-day.  But something terrible or frightening or panic-inducing, and it all comes out.  So – extreme measures call for the wampus cat.  But the cougar is suitable, for everyday wear.”

“That makes sense,” Hermione nodded.  “His cougar form was already firmly established, though he could not hold it, so it makes sense that he would retain the ability to hold that form, even as the full expression of his power manifested.”

The cougar was still staring at Jack, who was sitting on his heels.  “May I?” he held up his hand.  At a blink from Ianto that he took as consent, he reached out and ran his hand over Ianto’s head.  “I know you’re still getting used to things, and I want you to know there’s no rush.  I’ll wait here with you, and you can just take your time.”  He inched forward and whispered, “You’re safe, Ianto.  I’ll protect you.”

Ianto leaned against Jack’s chest and rested his head under Jack’s chin.  Jack wrapped his arms around Ianto, and his heart sang as the cougar began to purr.

The alarm on the cog wheel door sounded and Gwen came bounding through.  She pulled her gun when she saw so many strangers in the hub.  “Who the hell are you?” she snarled, raising her gun.

“Gwen, put the fucking gun down, before you hurt someone,” Owen snarked.

Ianto gave a soft mewl and pressed himself closer to Jack.  Surmising that Gwen would be one thing too many for his wizard/wampus cat/cougar/niffler/Ianto to handle at the moment, he cast a look to Luna, mouthing, ‘keep her away’.

Luna nodded and went to Tosh, whispering Jack’s message.  Toshiko stepped to Owen’s side and said, “Gwen, calm down and look around.  You’ve met most of these people, before.”

Gwen faltered as she looked around, but then her gun shifted to cover John Hart.  “And what is he doing here?” she shouted.  “He did this!”

“Stand down, Cooper,” Owen yelled.  “Clearly the hub isn’t on alert, so put the fucking gun down and give us your report, and then we’ll tell you what’s going on.”  When Gwen looked as though she would continue to argue, he added, in a dangerous tone, “Or do I tell Jack you’re refusing to follow orders, yet again?”

She lowered her gun, but looked bull-headed.  “Where is Jack?  Why isn’t he here, with all of these strangers around?”

The Doctor strode forward.  “Hello, I’m the Doctor.  You look awfully familiar.  Old Cardiff family?”

Gwen blinked.  This was the man Jack had run off with?  Well, he was certainly fit.  And made a hell of a lot more sense than Ianto, truth be told.

That still rankled, but she was a professional.  She could keep it to herself.

By the time she had given her report and had been brought up to speed on what had happened – earning the contempt of pretty much everyone present when she interpreted whatever had happened between Ianto’s magic and Jack’s vortex as a deliberate attack by Ianto – the two men slowly made their way up from the med bay. 

Professor McGonagall had pulled herself tall and said, “Rather than jump to erroneous conclusions based on your own ignorance of and obvious prejudice against magic, perhaps you should do as the rest of us and wait until we speak with Jack and Ianto, to see if they can shed any light on the event.  Although,” she went on, her eyes narrowed at the man in question, “I believe the Doctor has an idea of what happened.”

The Doctor raised an eyebrow.  Gwen looked abashed.  “I don’t have any prejudice against magic,” she protested.

“No, just Ianto,” Ginny said with disdain.  Draco had told them what she had done, after Mount Snowdon.  For the first time since her school days, she was itching to use her old Bat-Bogey jinx.  Her mother recognized the look in her eye and grabbed her wand hand, holding it companionably. 

Before Gwen could offer what would only be a very weak denial, Jack spoke up.  “Ianto knows how I feel about...” he caught himself.  “Felt about,” he smiled at the man he had his arm wrapped around, “my immortality.”  He caught sight of the Doctor and nodded in greeting before continuing.  “His magic… _he_ asked if I meant it, and I said yes, so he pulled the vortex out of me.”

Ianto went on, his voice quiet.  “But he didn’t want to leave, just yet.  And neither did I.  So part of him stayed… with me,” he smiled at Jack.

The two had never been quite so open with their feelings, before.  It was as though they had finally come to some sort of understanding, and were no longer holding back.

“You do realize what happened next,” the Doctor said, almost accusingly, though there was only kindness in his face.

Ianto and Jack both nodded.  “It was the only way,” Ianto said.

“And we both agreed it would be worth it,” Jack continued.

“What?” Professor McGonagall asked.

Ianto frowned, trying to come up with the best way to explain it.  But his fatigue was showing.  Jack was also showing his exhaustion.  The Doctor stepped into the conversation.  “Well, you witnessed it, actually.  Ianto’s magic is now anchored by part of Jack’s vortex.  And rather than simply having an infinite supply of the vortex, Jack now has a finite amount, anchored by Ianto’s magic.”

“So they are bound to one another,” Professor McGonagall said.

“Yes,” the Doctor replied, looking at the two men who seemed completely sanguine with their decision.  One had given up eternity, and the other had consigned himself to an incredibly long existence.

Her eyes widened at the implications.  "So Ianto will revive as long as Jack lives,” she concluded.

The Doctor nodded.  “And Jack will live as long as Ianto’s magic does.”

“How long?” she asked, feeling a bit faint.

The Doctor waved his sonic screwdriver at both men, then looked at the readout.  He huffed.  “Thousands of years.  Perhaps tens of thousands.”

“But not forever,” Jack smiled.

“No,” the Doctor returned his smile, relieved that Jack was no longer fixed.  “And the last hundred or so years, as the magic wanes, you will begin to age.”  He put his hands in his pockets and nodded.  “You’ll grow old, Jack.  Almost like normal, but for the extended life span.”

Jack whooped and reached out, practically picking the younger man up off his feet and hugging him tightly.  “Thank you,” he whispered, his voice awed as he stepped back, looking at Ianto with tears streaming.  He put his hands on either side of Ianto’s face and said, “I was too busy begging you not to leave me to tell you… I love you too, Ianto Jones.”  He kissed Ianto fiercely, and his lover returned the kiss in kind.  When they separated, Jack whispered, “I am sorry that you died, wondering.  I’m sorry I let that happen.”

“Jack,” Ianto was too emotional to say anything else as he rested his forehead against Jack’s and smiled, his heart full.  He felt his magic swelling and drew a deep breath, attempting to calm it.  And then an extraordinary thing happened.

His magic calmed.

“Oh, well done, Mr. Jones,” Professor McGonagall smiled.

“What just happened?” he asked.

“You just showed more effortless control over your magic than I have ever witnessed,” she answered.

In the next moments, Ianto greeted his friends and embraced them all.  Jack told Gwen to go home and get some sleep, but held back Owen and Toshiko.  Once Gwen left, the Doctor seemed to have a brainwave.  He began manically sonicking everyone in the room.  When he was done, he whistled.  “Well, there seems to be an unintended side effect for everyone exposed to the vortex,” he began.

“What?” Professor McGonagall asked, concerned.

The Doctor sighed.  “Your exposure to the vortex will likely result in… a longer than normal lifespan, for each of you.”

“How much longer?” Healer Metcalf asked.

The Doctor shrugged.  “Could be a few years, a few decades… or a few centuries.”

“Centuries!” Ianto exclaimed.  He looked about to pass out.  “No, that can’t…  I… I didn’t…” he was beginning to panic, again.  It was only Jack’s strong arm around his waist that was holding him up.

“Nif!” Luna had her arms around him, now.  “It’s all right.  We’ll be all right.  No, it’s not what we might have asked for, but you didn’t know.  And,” she looked around.  “We have each other.  We won’t be alone in this.”

The others were quick to agree, though their shock was evident.  The Doctor went on to assure them that with the longevity came good health, and it was difficult to be too upset about being condemned to a long, healthy life as a result of their accidental exposure to the vortex.  It was far less than what Ianto and Jack would have to endure.  As Luna said, they would work it out, together.

They said their goodnights, embracing Ianto and reveling in his recovery before disapparating, leaving only Draco, Kingsley, Luna and Professor McGonagall, who had been congregating to one side.  Once it was just them, they turned to the Torchwood team.  Kingsley nodded to Professor McGonagall, who spoke to Jack and Ianto.

“I would like to invite you two to stay at Hogwarts for a couple of weeks,” she said.  She noted the surprise on their faces and continued.  “Jack, you need time to mourn your brother.  We have not forgotten your losses, this evening.  Ianto, you need time to acclimatize yourself to the changes in your magic, and yourself.  And you both need to rest.  You have been through an incredibly exhausting experience.  You need to recuperate.  And finally,” she hesitated.  “Ianto, I believe you will want to explore your magic, now that you seem to have full access to it, and control over it.”

Jack looked at Ianto as he considered her words.  He looked at Jack, a question in his eyes.  At the almost imperceptible lift of one corner of Jack’s mouth, he smiled.  “I think that would be a good idea, Professor,” he said.

Toshiko was already at her station.  “Jack, the rift predictor is showing only minor flares in the next three weeks,” she said.  She turned to them.  “I think you two should go.”

“Yeah,” agreed Owen.  “Let us take care of things, here.  You two get yourselves sorted.”

“We will let you two rest,” Kingsley said, “and in a few days we will speak about how best to evaluate your magic.”  At their nods of acknowledgement, he disapparated.

“I’ll go get you a potion and meet you at Hogwarts,” Draco told Luna.  He disapparated.

“Come on, Nif.  I’ll help you pack,” Luna said.

Ianto kissed Jack.  “I’ll see you at Hogwarts,” he said.  He hugged Tosh and Owen, then took Luna’s hand.  She disapparated with him.

Jack bid the Doctor, Donna and John Hart farewell, and once the TARDIS was gone, he hugged Owen and Toshiko, then went to pack a bag.  He was ready within minutes, and Professor McGonagall took his hand and disapparated, leaving the two Torchwood operatives alone to shut down the hub before going home to a night of well-deserved sleep.

***


End file.
